News briefs

May 11, 2011 —

Bemused intruder found in town hall

GLEN SPEY, NY — Officials in the Town of Lumberland found an intruder sleeping in the meeting room of the town hall when they opened it up at around 8 a.m. on Monday, May 9. They called the sheriff's patrol, which responded and took 31-year-old Joseph Zonca of Sussex, NJ into custody.

Zonca told the deputies that he had been out the night before in Port Jervis, celebrating his birthday, and he wasn't sure how he got to Lumberland. Deputies say Zonca apparently tried to make himself a cup of coffee while in the town hall, but burned the pot. He also found the town's stash of cookies and helped himself. Zonca was arraigned before town justice Charles Fallon on a charge of Criminal Trespass in the third degree. He was sent to the Sullivan County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail, and was to re-appear in court on May 10.

Wayne gets recycling grant

HARRISBURG, PA – State Representatives Sandra Major and Mike Peifer announced a $28,270 state grant for the Wayne County Recycling Center. The money will be used to reimburse 50% of the county recycling coordinator’s salary and expenses.

“In this day and age, with land fills reaching capacity and society consuming more perishable goods, recycling is more important than ever; however, due to budget constraints many municipalities are having a hard time appropriating funds for the position,” Major said.

The grant is administered by the Department of Environmental Conservation under its County Recycling Grant Program.
the amount of litter that gets into our green areas and waterways,” Peifer said.

Tusten bookkeeper referendum set

NARROWSBURG, NY — The Tusten town board voted on May 9 to hold a referendum regarding the creation of the position of town bookkeeper. The vote will be on July 12 from 12 noon to 9:00 p.m. at the town hall. Absentee ballots will also be available.

The election will determine whether the town supervisor will have the authority to appoint the bookkeeper, as is the case with most other towns, or whether that authority will be shifted to the town board. At the town meeting, council members pointed out that in the past, the board has almost always voted on the bookkeeping appointment. State law, however, says that the authority belongs to the supervisor unless changed by voter referendum.

The bookkeeper position has been the focal point of a power struggle between supervisor Peg Harrison and various board members. When Harrison declined to reappoint Karen Valenti to the position in January, the board voted to eliminate the position.